VF-1S Valkyrie
The VF-1 Valkyrie is a variable fighter first featured in the Super Dimension Fortress Macross television series and the movie Do You Remember Love? It is also makes cameos Macross Plus, Macross Frontier. Technology & Combat Characteristics The VF-1 was developed by Stonewell, Bellcom and Shinnakasu for the UN Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from the SDF-1 Macross alien spaceship. It was preceded into production by an aerodynamic proving version of its airframe, the VF-X. Unlike all later VF vehicles, the VF-X was strictly a jet aircraft, built to demonstrate that a jet fighter with the features necessary to convert to Battroid mode was aerodynamically feasible. After the VF-X's testing was finished, an advanced concept atmospheric-only prototype, the VF-0 Phoenix, was flight-tested from 2005 to 2007 and briefly served as an active-duty fighter from 2007 to the VF-1's rollout in late 2008, while the bugs were being worked out of the full-up VF-1 prototype (VF-X-1). The VF-1's combat début was on February 7, 2009, during the Battle of South Ataria Island - the first battle of Space War I, and was the mainstay fighter of the UN Spacy for the entire conflict. Introduced in 2008, the VF-1 would be out of front line service just five years later, replaced by the far more advanced VF-4 Lightning III. However, the fighter would continue to show its worthiness years later when, during the events of Macross 7, Milia Jenius (a major character in the original series) would use her old fighter in defence of the colonization fleet. Due to the fame of the VF-1 Valkyrie in Space War I, the name "Valkyrie" has been embeded as a synonym for "Variable Fighter". Armaments *Howard GU-11 55mm gun pod x 1 : This is the standard canon held by VF-1 Valkyries in their Battroid and GERWALK modes, while in fighter mode, it is stored on the underside of the fuselage. It is capable of firing 200 rounds of ammunition. *Mauler RÖV-20 anti-aircraft laser cannons (1 on the VF-1A, 2 on VF-1J & VF-1D and 4 on the VF-1S) *Pivoting hard points under the wings x 4 *Under-wing missiles * AMM-1 hybrid guided multi-purpose missile x 3 * Mk.82 LDGB conventional bomb x 3 * RMS-1 large anti-ship reaction missile x 1 on inboard hardpoint or x 2 on outboard hardpoint * UUM-7 15-tube micro-missile pod x 1 : Carries Bifors HMM-01 micro-missiles. Special Equipment & Features FAST Pack The VF-1 Valkyrie brought the experimental FAST Packs, an acronym for 'F'uel 'A'rmor 'S'ensor 'T'actical, into mainstream use. FAST Packs offer a variety of benefits for Variable Fighters; such as additional boosters and verniers to increase speed and maneuvering, extra armor to increase survivability, additional weapons to improve on offensive capabilities, or sensor equipment to improve on early detection capabilities. As they often contain hazards like ammunition and propellant FAST Packs are designed to blow off once they become too damaged, or if their stores are expended. This allows a VF that may have been specialized for a specific task to resume normal operations once it has used up this temporary advantage. History Space War I Variants Picture Gallery VF-1 Valkyrie/VF-1A/Gallery|VF-1A VF-1 Valkyrie/VF-1D/Gallery|VF-1D VF-1 Valkyrie/VF-1J/Gallery|VF-1J VF-1 Valkyrie/VF-1S/Gallery|VF-1S Toys Bandai/Takatoku 1/55 Shōji Kawamori and Kazutaka Miyatake pitched their ideas to the Takatoku toy company. One of the complicated parts in designing a transforming toy was a way to swing the rear fuselage to the front to become the legs. Eventually, the legs were hinged onto the cockpit by two metal part, though this cut down show-accuracy, it made this toy a pinnacle of engineering for its time, engineering that wouldn't be seen until the late 80s and early 90s. To this day, other VF-1 Valkyrie Toys toys use the same technique to bring the legs to the front. A notable gimmic is the spring-loaded landing gear. After Takatoku went bankrupt, the molds came into the possesion of toy manufacturer Bandai and they still reissue this toy today. Before going bankrupt, Takatoku gave Hasbro the molds for the VF-1S Variant to use as the character "Jetfire ". Super Deformed This was the version Matchbox distributed in the USA to promote the Robotech television series. Toynami 1 Yamato 1/60 Released in 2001 1/48 Released in 2003 450px-VF-1S-Strike-Valkyrie-03.jpg VF-1S-Strike-Valkyrie-02.jpg VF-1S-Strike-Valkyrie-01.jpg Model Kits Bandai N/a Hagesawa N/a Notes & Trivia VF-1 and Similar Mechas Outside of Macross Since the release of the original Macross series, the VF-1 Valkyrie has become one of the most popular and well-known mecha among anime and science fiction fans alongside the RX-78-2 Gundam. Examples of homages and similar mecha are: *The VF-1S Super Valkyrie was repainted by Hasbro in red and white, given an Autobot insignia sticker to represent the character "Jetfire " in the Transformers toyline, due to it not being by business partners Takara (Takatoku also was later bought by Takara's largest rival, Bandai), Takara pressured Hasbro to change his character design and name in the animated television series and the comics into the only just similar "Skyfire" which has a boxy futuristic jet look, there's an Easter egg in the episode "Day of the Machines" where Skyfire transforms into a backward's facing GERWALK mode to land on ship. This toy also prevented Matchbox from releasing the VF-1 Valkyrie for Robotech, as a result they had to release a lower-quality super deformed version. Although his design was changed for the show, the VF-1S design appeared in the Jetfire and Shockwave commercial. Years later as part of the Transformers Classics/Henkei line, Jetfire was given a show-accurate toy , incorporating both elements from his appearance in the show and elements of his VF-1 Valkyrie origins, including a removable helmet with Valkyrie antennae (and an arguably Gundam-like faceplate) to place over the show-accurate head that has a mouth and FAST pack-esque armour and canons. *The Armo-Fighter AFC-01 Legioss in Genesis Climber MOSPEADA, and of course the show being one of the unrelated animes adapted into Robotech, it was called the VFA-6 Alpha. * The Decepticon Starscream in Transformers Animated, which featured a similar transformation. *The Empire of the Rising Sun's Mecha Tengu/Jet Tengu in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 *The Viking in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty *The Maladroids "Zardak" and "Zark" in the Convertors toyline. *The Transformables figure "Hurricane" released by the mexican toy company Ensueño. *The Variable Cyberbot from Happy Well's "Galaxy Defender" toyline, which is a slightly remolded VF-1S. Background The VF-1 was created by the renowned Japanese mecha designer Shoji Kawamori (with contributions by his Studio Nue partner Kazutaka Miyatake) in 1980-1982 to be the centerpiece mecha design of the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (1982–1983). The Grumman F-14 Tomcat, with its variable-sweep wing design, served as the main design inspiration of the VF-1. The name "Valkyrie" is a tribute to the real world XB-70 Valkyrie, an experimental supersonic strategic bomber developed in the United States in the 1960s. References Category:Super Dimension Fortress Macross Category:Mecha and Vehicles Featured in SDF Macross Category:Variable Fighters Category:Featured Category:Mecha & Vehicles Category:SDF Macross Category:Plus Category:Macross F